The present invention relates generally to fabric panels, and more particularly, to a machine for attaching fabric to a core.
Fabric panels are a well-known piece of furniture that are typically used in office areas to create individual work spaces. Work spaces using fabric panels have been widely adopted by office designers because of the many advantages that these work spaces offer over traditional office designs. One advantage of fabric panel work spaces is the greater flexibility that is available to office designers. Thus, office designers can easily tailor an entire office area to the unique needs of a group of workers. For instance, the size of the individual work spaces can be modified in size to fit the available office area. Convenient aisle pathways can also be designed between the work spaces. Work spaces can also be designed in larger configurations in which several workers share the same work space. In addition, the fabric panels can be manufactured with integral storage cabinets and desks to provide even greater flexibility.
A significant advantage of fabric panel work spaces is the ease with which they can be reconfigured. This flexibility allows office designers to quickly and inexpensively modify an entire office area when the needs of the workers change. By comparison, this type of flexibility is a significant improvement over traditional office designs, which are typically expensive and time-consuming to modify since permanent walls must be torn down and rebuilt.
Work spaces provide workers with a higher level of privacy than is available in traditional unwalled, open office areas. In addition, the fabric panels reduce visual distractions and lower the ambient noise in an office area. Thus, the workers are able to work more comfortably and can concentrate more fully on their work.
Because of the many advantages of fabric panel work spaces, the market demand for fabric panels remains consistently high. The demand for quality manufacturing also remains high. Another market trend that appears to be increasing is the desire for more variety in the fabric panels. For instance, one area that is of particular interest is the type of outer fabric that is secured onto the panels. Increasingly, office designers prefer unique colors and fabric textures in order to distinguish an office area from other office areas.
These demands have made it difficult for traditional manufacturing operations to keep pace with increasing expectations and changing needs. For example, in order to meet the increased demand for fabric panels, manufacturers must raise production volumes while maintaining high quality standards for the fabric panels. At the same time, manufacturers desire to minimize the manpower required for production in order to minimize costs. In addition, the manufacturing operations must be flexible so that a variety of different styles of fabric panels can be produced quickly and easily.
Generally, fabric panels have been manufactured in a largely manual operation. Typically, this manual operation involves two operators working together around a support table. The operators first lift a core and position it onto the support table. Next, the operators place a number of fabric layers onto the top surface of the core and visually align the fabric layers to the core. Typically, the fabric includes excess material along the edges of the fabric so that the operators can insert the excess edge material into clamps positioned along the side, front, and bottom surfaces of the core. The clamps then grasp and stretch the fabric. While the fabric is stretched, the operators staple the edges of the fabric to both sides and front and rear surfaces of the core. Typically, a manual stapler is used with a guide that contacts the top surface of the panel to provide height location for the stapling. Finally, the operators release the clamps and trim the excess fabric from the panel. Usually, this process is repeated at a second station, where fabric is secured to the other side of the core.
This type of manual operation, however, is not well-suited for high volume production of fabric panels because of the large manpower requirements. The quality of the fabric panels also tends to become poorer as the operators tire and become fatigued. One quality criteria that sometimes suffers is the alignment of the outer fabric layer to the core. Proper alignment of the outer fabric layer is especially important because the threads in the fabric are usually visible to office workers. Thus, fabric panels with threads that are aligned almost perfectly vertical and horizontal, as compared to crooked, are preferred. Alignment of the fabric threads is often a problem with manual operations because the operators usually align the fabric to the core with a simple visual alignment. Office workers also prefer the appearance of fabric panels that have a consistent stretch across the entire surface of the fabric. However, inconsistent stretching can be a problem if the operators are not consistent from panel to panel when clamping the fabric. Another problem with manual operations is inconsistency in the stapling. Typically, a spacing of 0.125 inch is preferred between each of the staples. However, because the operators manually staple the fabric to the core, the spacing of the staples varies as the operators vary the speed of the stapler. The manual clamping and stapling arrangement described also has the disadvantage of requiring extra excess fabric around the edges, which is wasted after the trimming process. Thus, a larger piece of fabric is necessary to provide the clamps with sufficient fabric for grasping than is actually used on the panel after stapling and trimming.
Accordingly, a machine is provided for stretching and securing fabric to a core. The machine includes a first station for loading a core, aligning fabric layers to the core, and stapling the front edge of the fabric layers to the front surface of the core. A second station then stretches the fabric along the top surface of the panel with top rollers that rotate due to friction that is created between the rollers and the fabric. The top rollers are angled so that an outer end of each roller engages the fabric before an inner end of the rollers. A pair of powered side rollers then stretch the fabric along the side surfaces of the core. After the fabric is stretched, side staplers staple the fabric to the side surfaces of the core. Next, a powered roller stretches the fabric along the rear surface of the core, and a rear stapler staples the fabric to the rear surface. A brake is also provided to resist the forward force of the rear stapler. Preferably, a third station with a flipping member is provided for turning the panel over. A fourth and fifth station that are comparable to the first and second stations then secure fabric layers to the other side of the panel.
Thus, the machine provides a higher volume process for manufacturing fabric panels. In addition, the machine improves the quality of the fabric panels by providing a consistent stretch in the fabric and consistent spacing between the staples. A smaller piece of fabric can also be used since extra fabric material is not needed around the edges for the clamps. Finally, an improved method for quickly and easily aligning the fabric to the core is provided in which the edge of the fabric is aligned with a guide.